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Origin and history

The Chambière barracks, also known as the Saint John barracks, were built in the 18th century on Chambière Island in Metz, between the Rue de la Caserne and the boulevard du Pontiffroy. For cavalry and infantry, it consisted of two large bodies of buildings more than 200 metres long, integrating the crossing stables, an innovation for ventilation. Its cost was 275,075 francs for infantry (1727-1733) and 259,990 francs for cavalry (1732-1736). In 1738, a "cookhouse" was added to the site of an ancient Calvinist cemetery.

The construction of the barracks is part of the military strengthening of Metz initiated by Louis XIV and his engineer Vauban, who stressed its strategic importance: "The other squares of the kingdom cover the province, Metz covers the state". The plans were partially realized in 1676, then taken over by Louis de Cormontaigne between 1728 and 1749. The Duke of Belle-Isle impulsed the construction of the barracks, including that of Chambière, on old ramparts and a plot of land which had sheltered since the 15th century the house of the Cour-aux-Gelines, a hospital for pestification.

The barracks had several vicissitudes: a fire ravaged it in 1766, requiring reconstruction. Under the German annexation (1871-1918), she was renamed König Johann Kaserne in tribute to King John of Saxony, before being returned to France in 1919. In 1946, the City of Metz acquired some of the buildings, including the remaining gates, which had been listed as historic monuments since October 24, 1929. Today, some of the structures have disappeared, but the protected elements remain as witnesses to this military heritage.

The site is part of an urban context marked by the fortifications of Metz, ranked among the most important in France. The barracks illustrate the evolution of military infrastructure, moving from medieval hospices to rational sets of the Enlightenment, reflecting the geopolitical stakes of Lorraine, a border region disputed between kingdoms and then nations.

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